The Logans are in the field picking cotton when Papa appears coming
down the road. He is home unexpectedly and has brought a guest, Mr. Morrison,
with him. Mr. Morrison has lost his job on the railroad for fighting with
white men; he says it was the white menís fault, but, of course, they
did not lose their jobs. Cassie senses that Mr. Morrison is there for
some reason other than a job.

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After church the next day, Cassie listens to the adults as they
exchange the neighborhood gossip. One of the Berry men have
died; Mrs. Lanier says that the whole incident happened when
the Berrys pulled up to a gas pump next to some white men and
Henrietta Toggins claimed that one of the Berry men had been
flirting with her daughter. The men chased the Berrys dragged
them out of a house and set fire to them. As if changing the
subject, Papa announces that the Logan family doesnít shop at
the Wallace store which is where most of the sharecroppers do
their shopping. Papa says that the Wallaces have been selling
bootleg liquor to kids and that he doesnít want his children
hanging around the Wallaces.

Notes

Taylor uses the church meeting and front porch chat as devices to tell
what actually happened to the Berrys although she does not yet reveal
who is responsible. Mr. Morrison is introduced as a "human tree in
height," taller even that David Logan who is over 6 feet himself.
Mary Logan also implies that things are going on which have not been revealed
to the children, thus creating some foreshadowing for future crises.